Would tax extension secretly fund Bellevue NBA arena? (Publicola)

In Wednesday’s Morning Fizz, the folks at Publicola relayed fears among some Seattle observers that a bill to extend some King County taxes also could be used to fund an NBA arena in Bellevue.

The taxes include hotel, food and car rental taxes that are being used to pay for Safeco and Qwest field. The funds from the tax extension would be used for a Washington State Convention Center expansion in Seattle, among other things.

King County Executive Dow Constantine enthusiastically backed the bill in a newsletter, and said remaining funds would be used for “other capital projects.”

It’s those three words that have conspiracy theorists buzzing. The extension of the taxes would benefit the convention center and, according to Constantine, create thousands of new jobs in Seattle. With Seattle benefiting, the city would be in no position to oppose similar benefits for other parts of King County, even if those benefits facilitated an NBA franchise moving to the suburbs.

Publicola asked Rep. Tina Orwall (D-Des Moines) if there was a plan to build an arena in Bellevue. She said she was “not aware of any language in the bill that would support a new sports stadium” and that those intentions would need to be clarified as the bill works its way through the legislature.

Without a massive KeyArena renovation, Bellevue has been seen as the most logical place for a new entertainment complex with an NBA- and NHL-ready arena at its heart. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is thought to be interested in bringing an NBA team to the area, but without a suitable building in Seattle, the league would be hesitant to allow the move. If Ballmer is considering a new facility, he might prefer an Eastside option.